Close to 400 women leaders from all over Negros Occidental gathered in Silay City on Aug. 26 for the Provincial Council for Women (PCW) Mid-Year Forum.
Four provincial board members, three mayors, all seven vice mayors, and several councilors, who chair the committee on women and family attended the event.
The mid-year event included a women’s trade fair dubbed “Tiangge ni Juana”, panel discussion with women mayors, sharing of women entrepreneurs, local ordinance on councils for women, and presentation of the recently approved provincial ordinances on the expansion of the PCW and organization of local women’s councils.
Lawyer Andrea Lizares-Si, chair of PCW, and Mayor Joedith Gallego, gave the PCW and city welcome, respectively.
Fifth District Board Member Rita Gatuslao gave a message, underscoring her commitment to partnership with the women sector and more policies for women and community development and empowerment.
Dr. Maria Novie Mejica, head of Cluster II of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, read the message of Negros Occidental Provincial Director and OIC Assistant Negros Island Regional Director Teodora Sumagaysay.
A panel discussion with Mayors Marilyn Era of Calatrava, Mayor Marina Javelana-Yao of Bago City, and Mayor Rowena Lopez-Lizares of Talisay City was moderated by Marie June Castro, executive assistant of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Gender and Development (GAD) action officer.
During the segment dubbed “Kapehan sang Kababainhan”, Era shared that it is her vision that more barangays in Calatrava will have zero open defecation (ZOD).
Only four of the 40 barangays of Calatrava are declared with ZOD.
For Javellana-Yao, she wants her fellow Bagonhons to feel the services or presence of the government, have more programs that support youth education, and health and nutrition among young children.
Lizares shared her vision of a hospital for Talisay, and more access to education for the youth, taking advantage of the presence of various schools located in the city.
Both neophyte mayors encouraged women from the grassroots and GAD advocates to work with them closely and give suggestions on gender-responsive programs or projects or how to improve implementation.
On the Women Talks segment, Julieta Robles, chair of Talisay City’s Tiangge in Juana, shared about their store in Talisay Public Market which features products of women and organizations from different barangays.
Robles said Tiangge ni Juana, painted in lavender and facing the highway fronting Savemore Talisay, was inaugurated during the Women’s Month last March.
Gertrude Canja from Murcia, a former 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino grantee, shared that she was a beneficiary of the conditional cash grant, receiving P10,000 as her first grant.
From the first 4Ps grant, she bought seedlings and cuttings and during the pandemic and with the proliferation of “plantitas” she was able to have sales of millions of pesos.
She voluntarily exited from the 4Ps program, because she believes she can already be economically independent.
Vice Mayor Anna Liza Tabujara-Soriano of Cauayan shared her women organizing strategies and adoption or passage of an ordinance for the creation of the Local Women’s Council in Cauayan. ||
